8 Poems about Being Yourself
In a world that often pushes us to fit in, these poems remind us that being yourself is a gift worth protecting.
Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.
Oscar Wilde
Updated January 14, 2026, by Catherine Pulsifer
Being yourself is not always easy. Many times, we feel pressure to act like others or to measure our worth by comparison. When we try to be someone we are not, we can lose sight of our own strengths and the peace that comes from being honest with ourselves.
These poems about being yourself offer gentle reminders to stay true to who you are. They encourage confidence, self respect, and appreciation for the gifts that make you unique.
Be Yourself
Be yourself
Not someone else
Whatever you do
Don't pretend you're not you.
When you try to be someone you're not
You will fail no matter how much you got
No matter how hard you try
It will catch up with you by and by
Living life and being you
Will make things so much easier too
As we all have strengths and weaknesses
Focus on the strengths to bring out greatness.
You Wish
You wish you were like someone else
You envy all they have
You say, "Why can't I be more like them
Then I would be fulfilled and glad."
But realize that God gave you
Gifts that are unique
And being true to only you
Your gifts will surface too.
Be yourself always
Be true to your values and beliefs
Don't try and be another
Just be you forever!
Always Be
Always,
Be understanding to your enemies.
Be loyal to your friends.
Be strong enough to face the world each day.
Be weak enough to know you cannot do everything alone.
Always,
Be generous to those who need your help.
Be frugal with that you need yourself.
Be wise enough to know that you do not know everything.
Be smart enough to continue learning.
Always,
Be willing to share your joys.
Be willing to share the sorrows of others.
Be a leader when you see a path others have missed.
Be a follower when you are shrouded by the mists of uncertainty.
Always,
Be first to congratulate an opponent who succeeds.
Be last to criticize a colleague who fails.
Be sure where your next step will fall, so that you will not tumble.
Be sure of your final destination, by setting your goals along the way.
Above all, always be yourself.
The poem, Always Be, gives us words to live by that are positive and uplifting.
The Crystal Gazer
I shall gather myself into myself again,
I shall take my scattered selves and make them one,
I shall fuse them into a polished crystal ball
Where I can see the moon and the flashing sun.
I shall sit like a sibyl, hour after hour intent,
Watching the future come and the present go -
And the little shifting pictures of people rushing
In tiny self-importance to and fro.
Never Be Someone Else
Never try and be someone else,
You are unique
Let your words be you,
When you do speak.
You were given talents
And gifts to use,
And not to use them
Will only see you lose.
Like every fingerprint or snowflake
You are one of a kind
So focus on your talents
And others, never mind.
By being yourself,
You will find more success
And never will you have to
Worry about what to confess.
The Solitary
My heart has grown rich with the passing of years,
I have less need now than when I was young
To share myself with every comer,
Or shape my thoughts into words with my tongue.
It is one to me that they come or go
If I have myself and the drive of my will,
And strength to climb on a summer night
And watch the stars swarm over the hill.
Let them think I love them more than I do,
Let them think I care, though I go alone,
If it lifts their pride, what is it to me,
Who am self-complete as a flower or a stone?
Myself
I have to live with myself and so
I want to be fit for myself to know.
I want to be able as days go by,
always to look myself straight in the eye;
I don't want to stand with the setting sun
and hate myself for the things I have done.
I don't want to keep on a closet shelf
a lot of secrets about myself
and fool myself as I come and go
into thinking no one else will ever know
the kind of person I really am,
I don't want to dress up myself in sham.
I want to go out with my head erect
I want to deserve all men's respect;
but here in the struggle for fame and wealth
I want to be able to like myself.
I don't want to look at myself and know
I am bluster and bluff and empty show.
I never can hide myself from me;
I see what others may never see;
I know what others may never know,
I never can fool myself and so,
whatever happens I want to be
self respecting and conscience free.
A Creed
I believe that God created me to be happy, to enjoy the blessings of life,
to be useful to my fellow-beings, and an honor to my country.
I believe that the trials which beset me today are
but the fiery tests by which my character is strengthened,
ennobled and made worthy to enjoy the higher things
of life, which I believe are in store for me.
I believe that my soul is too grand to be crushed by defeat;
I will rise above it.
I believe that I am the architect of my own fate;
therefore, I will be master of circumstances and surroundings, not their slave.
I will not yield to discouragements,
I will trample them under foot and make them serve as stepping-stones to success.
I will conquer my obstacles and turn them into opportunities.
My failures of today will help to guide me on to victory on the morrow.
The morrow will bring new strength, new hopes,
new opportunities and new beginnings.
I will be ready to meet it with a brave heart,
a calm mind and an undaunted spirit.
In all things I will do my best, and leave the rest to the Infinite.
I will not waste my mental energies by useless worry.
I will learn to dominate my restless thoughts
and look on the bright side of things.
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Conclusion
Being yourself is one of the greatest gifts you can offer the world. When you live honestly and stay true to who you are, you make room for growth, peace, and confidence. We hope these poems have encouraged you to value your uniqueness, trust your own path, and remember that you are enough just as you are. Let these words stay with you as a gentle reminder to always be yourself.
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind do not matter, and those who matter do not mind.
Bernard M. Baruch